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Chapter 23.4
Morning, or at least what Keith’s body told him should have been morning, came far too quickly. When he awoke, he had to take a moment to remember where he was. The plump red squirrel curled up at the foot of his bed was a good trigger to his memory. Chel’s father was asleep in the room next to his.
There was not an alien in sight. Except the squirrel and Keith wasn’t really sure if he counted as truly ‘alien’. Fly cheerfully made himself useful, explaining that Keith would likely not see anyone else for several more hours. They were on a different time schedule and it was still a rest time for them.
Keith got dressed and left the room with Fly on his shoulder reminding him of where everything was as they passed each door. There was the private dining room, where they would have breakfast later. There was Lexx’s room and two rooms where the dice were likely resting if they weren’t in the private garden lookout that was the next door down.
Keith was coming to the realization that they were set apart from the rest of the ship when they reached the elevator at the end of the hall and it chirped at them, but refused to open. “It doesn’t matter that you can’t use the elevator, you can still get anywhere in the ship through the garden lookout.” Fly had cheerfully informed him. “There’s a lift there as well that I know the code for, but you should probably not leave the floor. This is a big ship. It would be easy to get lost.”
That little bit of information made Keith feel a little less like a prisoner. So they could leave if they wanted to, but obviously the dice would see him and likely try to talk him out of it, just like Fly was doing right now. He wasn’t about to argue with one of these creatures. The smaller ones were not all that threatening, but the big ones had a nasty array of teeth and claws that he imagined could do serious damage.
Keith settled for going into the garden lookout. Dice were scattered throughout the large area, sleeping soundly. Keith walked as quietly as he could, keeping to a stone path that wound through the long, narrow strip of greenery. He estimated that at its widest point it was about twenty- five feet across and fifty feet long. On the side he had entered from, there were windows and several doors. One of the doors went to Lexx’s quarters, the other, the dice. The opposite wall opened out into the larger garden area. Keith took a quick look over the edge, noting that they were up almost above the tree tops and there were some huge trees in that garden. They had to be at least 50 to 60 feet tall with huge, thick trunks.
Strange bird like creatures sang in the tree tops and Keith witnessed another creature pop out of the top of one tree and nab one of the colorful creatures and eat it in one bite. Keith moved away from the edge and walked down the path.
Drift hooted a welcome and good morning from the far end of the lookout as Keith and Fly approached. Keith smiled and reached up to pat the huge creature’s shoulder. Even laying down, Drift dwarfed the human. Drift made a softer hooting noise and half closed his luminous crimson eyes.
Keith walked past him and noticed that this area had been blocked off for more privacy. A wall blocked any view of the larger garden and a hedge was behind him now. In front of him was nothing. A huge window looked out onto space, so crystal clear that only the metal supports that divided it into sections and light reflecting off of it betrayed its existence.
If only our reason for being here wasn’t what it is. Keith sat down on the lower side of the rock and stared into space. The stars were steadily moving past or rather, Keith realized, they were rapidly flying past the stars. It was so different from looking at stars from the Earth. He could see further and only a few twinkled. He realized some of them were likely other star ships as a group of ‘stars’ flashed across his line of sight in a matter of minutes. It’s so beautiful. I’ve dreamed of being here. It’s all so big. So much bigger than me. So much bigger than anything I know.
Chel’s out there somewhere. Keith’s mood shifted from wonder to a pang of sadness as he faced the full reason they were there. But it’s not me she’s waiting for. Now that I’ve had time to sleep on it, I realize how stupid I am.
11 thoughts on “07/21/2010”
Nathan R.
wow…he looks really depressed.
Kitsune
Aww that just somehow makes it all seem sadder =(
Bioluminous
Poor Keith :<
He's finally figured out who Chel is in love with… I hope he doesn't give up though D:
Wild Star
Yeah….I wouldn’t mind seeing lex and Keith beat the crap out of eachother…*cackles evilly.* >8D
Omniscia
Now now, Keith, I’m sure Chel will be glad to see you, too.
…And yet, somehow those words don’t seem all that comforting.
oddstuffs
Poor Keith! I didn’t realize he was THAT interested in her, sad day!
Lakitra
I found this comic about a week ago and spent the better part of four days reading through the archieves. Really ought to have been focusing on writing a project, but this story is so addictive. And seeing the progession in the quality of the drawings just makes me itch to get my own art supplies out again… Beautiful work.
Very poignant text on this page. I didn’t realise he liked Chel that much either. Though I’m still kinda hoping he’s just referring to the fact that he won’t be able to do anything to help Chel. That way Claudia will have a harder time using him to seperate them…
Annabel
LOL awkward.
54viruses
Poor guy… I hope a couple of the dice decide the chupacabra isn’t so bad and go home with him.
Eboreg
Looking back at this, I love the way you set up the love triangle in this story so that the right answer is not obvious to the readers. Lexx really needs Chel but the relationship could get overly complicated while Keith is a closer more convenient friend.
Raxondr
It’s about time you realized that, Keith. Go sit in the corner now and let the competent people go and handle things.
And Vic can watch, I guess.
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